Warriors of the Outermost: the Bright Hawk
by Kitte-Wolf
Summary: With the North cats gone and peace restored to the Clans, who will take on the mantle of the Flame when Wolfstar and Enigmathorn are brutally assassinated by the remaining to North cats? Four cats, one from each Clan, must take up the responsibility of the Flame in order to restore order to the Outermost once again. T for character death and violence.


BrookClan

Leader- Nightstar, a black tom with blue eyes Lives:9

Deputy- Rainstone, a dark silver shecat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat- Lorefern, a brown shecat with white paws and chest and green eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice- Silverpaw, a silver tabby shecat with gold eyes

Warriors-

Shimmereyes, a long-furred white shecat with blue eyes

Dawnsparrow, a red tabby shecat with blue eyes

Snowheart, a white tom with blue eyes

Icefur, a white shecat with bluegreen eyes

Apprentices-

Rosepaw, a white shecat with green eyes Mentor: Shimmereyes

Leopardpaw, a white shecat with blind bluegreen eyes Mentor: Rainstone

Jaypaw, a silver tom with bright green eyes Mentor: Snowheart

Queens-

Cloudfall, a light grey shecat with blue eyes Kits: Owlkit, Snakekit, Mintkit, Sagekit

Kits-

Owlkit, a very light grey tom with blue eyes

Snakekit, a medium grey tom with blue eyes

Mintkit, a light grey shecat with blue eyes

Sagekit, a white tom with hazel eyes

Elders-

RabbitClan

Leader- Briarstar, a silver shecat with green eyes Lives:9

Deputy- Fireclaws, a light brown and ginger shecat with blue eyes

Medicine Cat- Stormwind, a brown and white tom with green eyes

Medicine Cat Apprentice- Mysterypaw, a light grey shecat with dark grey eyes

Warriors-

Drizzlemist, a white tom with green eyes

Flameflower, a dark grey shecat with light grey eyes

Apprentices-

Queens-

Jaggedflight, a grey and brown shecat with green eyes Mate: Houndhowl Kits: Silverkit, Goldkit, Crystalkit

Kits-

Silverkit, a brown tom with green eyes

Goldkit, a grey and brown shecat with brown eyes

Crystalkit, a brown shecat with green eyes

Elders-

Houndhowl, a brown tom with brown eyes

MistClan

Leader- Astralstar, a silver tom with light purply blue eyes Lives:9

Deputy-

Medicine Cat- Duskbreeze, a dark grey shecat with blue eyes and black markings

Medicine Cat Apprentice- Fatepaw, a dark brown tom with amber eyes

Warriors-

Thrushchirp, a grey-brown shecat with white ears and amber eyes

Apprentices-

Bluepaw, blue smoke shecat with green eyes

Hollypaw, a silver fawn tabby shecat with green eyes

Tornpaw, lilac tabby shecat with hazel eyes

Queens-

Sunwind, a fluffy-pelted white shecat with sea green eyes

Sandfur, a golden yellow shecat with yellow eyes Kits: Lakekit, Stumblekit, Tumblekit

Brambleflight, a light grey shecat with amber eyes Mate: Astralstar Kits: Windkit, Harekit

Kits-

Lakekit, a light golden shecat with blue eyes

Stumblekit, a brown tom with an extra-long tail and green eyes

Tumblekit, a white tom with yellow eyes

Windkit, a black tom with amber eyes

Harekit, a brown tom with purple eyes

Elders-

Thorntooth, a ginger tom with green eyes

StormClan

Leader- Wolfstar, a russet shecat with bright green eyes, formerly a loner, the Flame Lives:9 Mate: Ryewhisker Kits: Wingkit, Lightkit, Hawkkit

Deputy- Ryewhisker, a light brown tom with yellow eyes

Medicine Cat- Sneezerumble, a marbled brown and black tom with green eyes

Warriors-

Fallenbird, a black shecat with dark blue eyes

Enigmathorn, a dark ginger shecat with amber eyes

Maplebark, a ginger shecat with amber eyes

Charredwing, a black shecat with odd eyes- one hazel, one blue

Wildfire, a silver tabby shecat with sea green eyes

Apprentices-

Thornpaw, blue smoke-pelted tom with white patches and grey eyes

Gladepaw, a dilute torbie calico shecat with grey eyes

Queens-

Kits-

Wingkit, a russet tom with yellow eyes

Lightkit, a light brown shecat with green eyes

Hawkkit, a black and white tom with green eyes

Elders-

Cats outside the Clans

Kary, a brown tabby farm shecat with hazel eyes

Tory, a dark brown tom farmcat with green eyes, Kary's mate and sire to Jay, Song, Lorefern, Eagle, Hawk, Myth, Rain, Milky, and Raven

Jay, a brown tabby tom with green eyes

Song, a light brown tabby shecat with hazel eyes

Eagle, a golden brown tom with green eyes

Hawk, a brown tabby tom with hazel eyes

Myth, a dark brown shecat with white stripes and green eyes

Rain, a light brown tabby shecat with green eyes

Milky, a dark brown tabby tom with light green eyes

Raven, a dark brown shecat with green eyes

Facet, a white shecat with yellow eyes, a rogue

Tangle, a black tom with hazel eyes, a rogue, Facet's mate and sire to Blade and Toren

Blade, a black shecat with yellow eyes, a rogue

Toren, a white tom with hazel eyes, a rogue

Elulia, a ruddy brown tabby shecat with blue-violet eyes, a rogue

Igrikai, a battle-scarred blue smoke shecat with tufted ears and green eyes, a rogue

Huron, a dark grey tom with bright blue eyes, a loner

**Chapter One**

Ten moons.

_It's amazing how fast moons go by in times of peace,_ the russet she-cat mused to herself as she watched a trio of kits play on the sun-hardened dirt that sat in the center of the camp. _It seems like just yesterday the cats of StarClan were calling my name out._

"Ma! Watch!" A little russet tom was squeaking in excitement, then he jumped over a light brown she-cat.

"Wingkit no fair! I wasn't ready!" The light brown she-cat complained.

Wingkit squeaked in laughter, "Well, too bad!"

A black and white tom bounced over to his siblings, grinning. "I know!"

"You know what?" Wingkit and his sister chorused.

"We should see if Sneezerumble will take us out collecting herbs with him! Then Ma and Dad won't be able to complain!" The black and white tom's green eyes burned with excitement. Shaking her head, Wolfstar rose to her paws and padded over to her kits.

"That's enough of the conspiracies for now. In no way are you allowed to leave camp until you are six moons old," she admonished.

"But-" the black and white tom began.

"Hawkkit, whatever you were about to say, don't say it. You know that Thornpaw, Gladepaw, and Charredwing leaving camp when they were kits was under different circumstances," Wolfstar's green eyes were serious as she cast her vision towards Sneezerumble's den. "Besides, Sneezerumble's not in camp."

"How do you know?" The sister chorused.

"Lightkit, I know that you know how I know. You've heard the story of how the North cats were defeated and how Enigmathorn and I, when together, form the Flame." Wolfstar sighed. She did not enjoy telling this story. She did not take pride from being a reincarnate of Firewolf. _One day I'll have to figure out what made me so special that I just had to be reincarnated over and over. I'm young, but I just feel… old._

"Yeah… I just like hearing it!" Lightkit protested.

"And I don't like telling it," Wolfstar grumbled, then shook her head. "Maybe Galepaw'll play with you. She isn't doing anything right now. You'll find her dozing by the stream."

"Okay!" Wingkit squeaked, bounding towards the stream that ran along the edge of camp. Lightkit and Hawkkit were in close pursuit, and Wolfstar watched carefully.

"Must be nice," Fallenbird sighed. "Being able to see them when you're on patrol and the like."

Wolfstar hadn't noticed the black she-cat approaching her and jumped when her clanmate spoke.

"Oh… well… Yeah, I guess," Wolfstar shrugged. "Sometimes I wish I could be a normal cat, though. I'm the one who gets all the attention because of my Sight."

"I'm just glad that our Clan survived. And I know that we all played a part in our survival, of course I do have to admit that we couldn't have done it without you," Fallenbird smiled. "So who are you taking to the Gathering?"

"Sneezerumble, you, Rhyewhisker, Charredwing, and Gladepaw," Wolfstar looked into the forest.

"You're leaving a lot of cats at camp," Fallenbird noticed.

"Elulia and Igrikai are still running around. As long as they live and carry the ideals of the North, I fear that bloody legacy will never fade."

"You're wise for your age," Fallenbird mused.

Wolfstar remained silent.

"Of course, you had to grow up fast. All of us who were young then did," Fallenbird looked into the blue sky. "Sometimes I wish the North cats had never come."

"Astralstar! You're going to wear a hole through the ground, stop pacing!" Sunwind, Sandfur, and the kits sat outside the nursery reprimanding the anxious leader.

"It shouldn't be taking this long! She sounds like she's hurt! What if there's something wrong-" Astralstar was cut off.

"You have two toms. Now stop wearing a hole through the ground," Duskbreeze and Fatepaw emerged from the nursery.

Astralstar was in the nursery within seconds, standing over Brambleflight and their kits.

"This one's name is Windkit," Brambleflight stated, pointing her tail at the black tom.

"Then this one will be Harekit," Astralstar nosed the brown tom. Brambleflight purred.

"Perfect," the light grey shecat's amber eyes met Astralstar's purple. "They are just perfect."

Sandfur and Sunwind smiled at the mates. "Well, of course they are," Sandfur stated.

"They're kits, for StarClan's sake!" Sunwind chuckled.

Underneath their fur, Astralstar and Brambleflight blushed. Their tails were twined around each other's, and silver fur mixed with grey. The wind hissed through the needles of the pines above the Clan's heads, cooling the hot day. Everything was perfect.

So why couldn't Duskbreeze shake the feeling that something was wrong?

"Stormwind!" Drizzlemist called out, Flameflower leaning on his shoulder. "Mysterypaw!"

The two medicine cats padded over to the littermates.

"What's wrong?" The elder medicine cat asked.

Drizzlemist shrugged, finding himself at a loss of words while Flameflower shuddered. The dark grey she-cat was shaking, light grey eyes displaying fear. Stormwind and Mysterypaw eyed the siblings as Stormwind sniffed at Flameflower. "Great," the brown and white tom growled. "Our first case of greencough, and it's still leaf-fall. Mysterypaw, get some catmint, then go out and see how much you can gather while leaving enough to grow back next star-cycle," Stormwind ordered. Mysterypaw nodded, bounding off to the den she shared with Stormwind. The elder medicine cat looked up as Briarstar padded over. "I'd stay a ways away. It's greencough," he cautioned.

"This early?" Briarstar questioned.

"Yes'm," Stormwind nodded his confirmation.

Briarstar shook her head, "You're probably already sending Mysterypaw out for catmint. I can go with her. StarClan knows those two North Cats are still around. We don't need them attacking her."

Stormwind nodded. "Thank you for your consideration. Who are you taking to tonight's Gathering?"

"Fireclaws, Mysterypaw, and Houndhowl. I'll leave Drizzlemist so he can watch over his sister. You'll stay here as well," Briarstar eyed the freshkill pile. "If you need me, I'm hungry. Stupid rabbits are already hiding."

"Wow, I would not be surprised if Leopardpaw had the Sight with how accurate her blows are," Nightstar commented to Rainstone.

"She may be a hopeless hunter and a total klutz, but get her on the battlefield and she'll show you exactly what a blind cat can do," Rainstone purred, proud of her apprentice. Nightstar nodded appreciatively.

"Make sure she knows she's coming to the Gathering," The black leader stood up, stretching.

"She'll enjoy that. I know she's been missing Mysterypaw. The two of them are kindred spirits," Rainstone returned to watching Leopardpaw spar with Rosepaw and Jaypaw. The blind white she-cat did struggle, but she worked twice as hard as the other apprentices to keep up. She wasn't very good in the water, but the 'new Clans' as the elders had taken to calling them, noted that the leaders were more willing to allow handicapped cats the ability to train and become warriors and medicine cats. This was well shown by the blind Leopardpaw, the mute Mysterypaw, and the twisted-pawed Astralstar who had insisted on going to the Gathering barely days after breaking it.

Rosepaw and Leopardpaw had formed a tag-team, and where whooping poor Jaypaw's butt. The silver tom stood up, shaking bracken off his pelt before stalking away. Snowheart stood up, chasing after his apprentice as Jaypaw headed away from the training hollow. Rainstone joined Shimmereyes in critiquing the apprentices, not thinking twice about the murderous look on Jaypaw's face.

Jaypaw sprinted through the wetlands. His sisters were so special, they were so amazing. Why did they have to be so good? From the blind Leopardpaw to the compassionate Rosepaw, the shy Jaypaw never got looked at twice. He snarled in rage, wishing for a war to come along- anything! - That would help him prove himself.

He heard Snowheart calling for him, but he kept on until he came to the thunderpath. He stopped, panting, in the early leaf-fall air. He padded along the dangerous black path, cooling off his temper a little before turning to face Snowheart, who had followed him and just caught up.

"Are you okay?" His concerned mentor asked.

"Yeah, fine," Jaypaw muttered.

"You don't look fine…" Snowheart trailed off at Jaypaw's look. "C'mon, let's just go back to camp! I think I overheard Nightstar saying you were going to the Gathering tonight…"

Jaypaw's ears perked up. Finally, something good!

"Can we go? Please please please?" Wingkit begged, his yellow eyes wide.

Wolfstar purred, "Sorry, kits, you're still too young."

Lightkit pouted, "Please?"

"Listen to your mother," Rhywhisker had padded over to his mate and kits.

"Aww," Hawkkit whined.

"You'll have fun here with Thornpaw," Wolfstar pointed out.

"But we wanna go to the Gathering with you!" Lightkit mewed.

"Next moon," Wolfstar promised. "When you're apprentices."

"But we don't wanna wait that long!" Wingkit protested.

Wolfstar purred, "Sorry loves, but it's time for us to go."

"Please let us come with you?" Hawkkit tried one more time. Wolfstar shook her head, before leading the patrol out of camp as Thornpaw padded over to the kits.

"So, anything you kits want to do?" Thornpaw asked, smoky pelt twitching in amusement.

"Go to the Gathering!" The three mewed in unison. Thornpaw shook his head.

"I shouldn't have asked," he mewed.

"Come on!" Lightkit hissed, "Wingkit, you distract him, while we sneak out!"

The russet tom pouted, "Why me?"

"Because you're the smallest," Lightkit pointed out.

"Err," Wingkit growled as he stalked off to distract the older cats.

"Now we wait for our cue," Lightkit hissed, crouching.

"Are you su-?" Hawkkit began.

"Thornpaw! Hawkkit and Lightkit went in the medicine den!" Wingkit called out, and Lightkit crawled under the bramble barrier, followed by Hawkkit.

"Wow!" Lightkit gasped. "It's so big!"

Hawkkit nodded, speechless.

"Come on! Let's go!" Lightkit bounded away.

"Aren't you afraid ma is watching?" Hawkkit finally spoke.

"Nah!" Lightkit squeaked, "She's busy with the Gathering. Now, which way to Northrock?"

Wolfstar shook her head. She would keep a careful eye on her kits, but she had to hope that they wouldn't get in trouble. Nightstar was speaking, then Briarstar, then Astralstar, and then it was her turn. She spoke, leaping off the rock as the Clans dispersed. She stopped Ryewhisker for a moment, and he nodded, understanding her.

Wolfstar took off through the oak forest, hearing and seeing her two eldest kits arguing.

"No, this way!" Lightkit screeched.

"Really, I-" Hawkkit began.

"You two," Wolfstar's voice cut through their argument.

"It was his idea!" Lightkit pointed her tail at Hawkkit.

"Wha? Not it wasn't!" Hawkkit growled.

"You are _both_coming with me," Wolfstar began nudging her kits in the direction of the camp.

"But-!" Lightkit began.

"Yes," Wolfstar hissed.

Lightkit gave up protesting.

The shadow of a tabby she-cat fell across starry water.

"_Bright Hawk_

_Blazing Jay_

_Breaking Light_

_Unto Day_

_Blowing Wind_

_Brilliant Crystal_

_Bringing Hope_

_Saving All_

_Blue Smoke _

_Blue Violet_

_Bursting Death_

_Never Let_

_Them Go"_

"So who does it refer to?" A calico she-cat joined the tabby. The first shook her head.

"One from each Clan. Beyond that?" The tabby let it hang.

"Who will help them when we can't?" The calico spoke softly.

"What will happen when we're not enough to keep them safe?" The tabby mewed.

Who would help the Clans when StarClan couldn't?


End file.
